the dark mark

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attn @Bronco but all welcome! Forewarning that anyone seeming like they're going to trespass could be received aggressively~  

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[size=small]Another evening found the matriarch approaching The Dragonsteeth, sampling the scents of the earth. All seemed well here, and for that the matriarch was grateful. Nose to the grindstone, Hydra resumed her work and began her patrol; she ranged along, pausing now and then to diligently mark the spaces she instinctively felt the need to. The matriarch had only dealt with one wolf whom had blatantly ignored the signs that this place was claimed, and dealt with them; the next she would not be so kind to. Hydra did not desire to be taken advantage of, and would quite literally nip such a thing in the bud. [/size]

[size=small]Alertly the Ostrega moved, gaze vigilant as each of her senses worked together to suss out anything out of the ordinary. Thus far, all seemed well on this western front... and so she simply continued onward, making more headway as she went.[/size]

+2 formation points

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While patrolling the borders had him, for the most part, walking along and reinforcing markings left behind by those who had gone through before him, from time to time he came upon a scent that sparked his interest in a different way. It made him pleased to see the tracks and droppings left behind by prey animals in the area. And the grey jays who nested in the coniferous trees along the borders seemed quite accustomed to him now, and would flit over to pull a tuft of partially shedded fur from him if he stood still long enough. But scenting a coyote's urine nearby did not sit well with him. 

He's begun to scratch away at the scent marking left behind by the coyote when he heard footsteps- and looked up to see Hydra, who was patrolling too, it seemed, and heading toward him. He gestured for her to approach, disdain obvious and plain on his features as he moved aside to show her the tracks and yellow snow left behind by an offending coyote. He licked his lips, in a silent invitation to see if Hydra was at all interested in ousting their unwelcome visitor with him.

+2 formation points

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Bronco was a sunspot upon their borders, but his visage was darkened by something that had offended him. Lengthening her stride as she picked her way toward him, Hydra soon saw (and smelled the reason why). Her muzzle wrinkled as she was quick to make her own very pointed mark over it, choking the life out of it with her stronger one—careful not to catch Bronco in the midst of it. It was left recently enough for it to mean it could be near, but it potentially being far only changed the number of minutes it had left before its inevitable end. 

Hate might be a strong word, but Hydra was as strong a woman as she was hateful. And she detested that particular canine variety... foxes, too, she counted among that number. If they stole from the mouths of her family, they were as good as dead to her. With the promise of new beginnings here, she would not have such marred by loathsome thieves or trespassers. Coyotes were as clever as the fox. They knew the gambit they ran, walking the path of the wolf. But betting against Hydra and her own was a losing game. Some things simply were not worth the risk. 

Hydra began to follow the trail of the offending party—invitation clearly accepted, as she whuffed to Bronco gamely.

+2 formation points

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Hydra shared his disdain for other canines that weren't wolves, and after side-stepping to allow her access the scent, he figured that the hunt would be on. 

The coyote's tracks were fresh, and they ran along the border area, as though it had seen fit to do a patrol as well. Occasionally, though, it dipped in one direction or another- often roaming into the claimed lands in places where the wolves had left their patrol. Was it checking them out to see if they were attentive, or just being curious? Or was it hoping to follow the wolf tracks along the borders until it was led to a cache? Given the fact that that was the likeliest scenario, Bronco let out a soft ruff and began to push forward, tracking alongside Hydra at a good clip, hoping they might catch up with the coyote. 

They spelled each other off as they travelled, with one pursuing the scent and the other occasionally stopping to mark, so that they were capable of doing the two tasks at once.

+2 formation points

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Her disdain for the creatures felt age old, and likely was. Instinct and lessons taught both had played a part in her temperament toward anything Other, and she was intolerant of the lot of them. Brutally so. It was good to know that Bronco, too, shared the sentiment; some could be softer and feel pity toward the things. Those animals were undeserving of such an emotion, and Hydra had no pity to spare in any event. 

Bronco's ruff caused one ear to cup toward him, and soon he was at her side. The duo worked in tandem, and the moments Bronco forged ahead Hydra would pause to distribute her scent and scan the perimeter, wanting no thing to go missed even as they pursued the coyote. Fortunately there was nothing of note, and so Hydra pressed on, coming alongside Bronco and nipping at his shoulder in comradely affection. Hydra enjoyed these physical pursuits, and felt them as good a bonding method as any. A gentle breeze brought telltale signs of their quarry with it, and Hydra was quick to pick up the pace. It had not been so far as she imagined, after all... there was only a little while left to go, the wind revealed.

+1 formation points

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As they roved along, the scent grew stronger. While at first they'd had to track with their heads down to keep an eye on the pawprints in the snow and the scent that it left behind, eventually, the scent was carried to them on the breeze, urging the both of them to get a bit more frisky, and jest with one another with playful snaps as they closed in on their enemy. A coyote wasn't too much of a threat- and certainly not against two wolves. But neither Bronco nor Hydra would tolerate a thieving rascal that seemed to think it could traipse along their borders without consequence. 

"There!" Bronco hissed as he spotted the creature up ahead. It had stopped to relieve itself, which made Bronco growl. the damn thing was trying to make fools of them! Perhaps it had lived on this mountain longer than the wolves- but it would be welcome no more, and its marking would no longer be tolerated. Letting out a loud cry, Bronco surged forward, just as the coyote looked up in terror, hastily finished doing its business and began to rocket away from them.

+2 formation points

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They were off. A bullet loosed from its chamber, Hydra would not stop until she hit her mark; the coyote had its own advantage in knowing the terrain, but its disadvantage was who it was up against. Not just one, but two wolves who would not permit it to exist within their space. The Dragonsteeth was a place Hydra was coming to learn to traverse by the day, and she knew to be careful—careful enough to provide the coyote another advantage. 

But those two things alone would not save it. Hydra was creative, and knew if she could just get to a certain point... she could force it to move in a way that would obscure its path and slow it. And so she moved to flank it, looking as though she was giving the thing wider berth before closing in—a pillared fang of The Dragonsteeth would be an unavoidable obstacle in its path; she would put it between a rock and the hard place of their fangs.

+2 formation points

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With one wolf closing in on either flank, they forced the offending trespasser forward, shepherding it rather than lunging in to begin a fight or upset its balance so that they might take it down. Bronco deferred to Hydra's body language, and while he occasionally had to lunge in to stop it from veering away from them, he kept the coyote from dashing away from the dark, frightening wolf who was the faster of the two of them. He saw Hydra's gaze flick to the tall, jagged pillar that they were approaching, and Bronco thought he understood her plan. If they drove the coyote straight toward that, they could overtake it, or potentially corner it. 

How fitting a name it would be, then, if the Dragonsteeth could become something that the wolves used to their advantage even in hunting and chasing down foes.
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Indeed, it seemed they would be able to do just that; the coyote saw too late their intent, its fumbling steps enough for Hydra to overtake it without missing a stride herself. She was upon it in seconds, its hesitance alone her perfect opening as she bore down upon it. There was no escaping her from there; mercifully, she was quick about it once the thing was between her teeth. For good measure, she shook the limp body—but the neck had already been broken. 

Satisfied, she kicked her heels against the earth to distribute her scent all the more there, too; turning, her tail swayed and she dangled the thing temptingly before she darted nearer to Bronco, a deep, rumbling rrrrr coming from the depths of her throat. She always enjoyed a good old fashioned game of tug-of-war, and the continued rhythmic sway of her plume revealed that there was no negative emotion at all behind the noise. All in good fun, really—it felt as good a way as any to celebrate their success over the trespassing creature they had bested.

+2 formation points

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He was a quick learner, which provided Bronco with the initial benefit of some surprise, her own grip on the animal growing temporarily slack as she regarded him fully. And that provided her with the feel of him; grip tightening again, as he moved to shoulder her Hydra stepped backward to cause his shoulder to miss the brunt of its mark and hopefully cause his own step to falter. He did not miss entirely, though—and it was her chest that smarted some as she then decided to backpedal with all the force she could muster, careless if the object between them tore in two in the process of it. Her eyes were bright with amusement and vigor, enjoying their game even as she snarled loudly.

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Fade here and maybe have another sometime :3 ALSO- one of your avatars that rotated in, the one with the moon above Hydra's head? I think that one's new to me and it is STUNNING.

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While he had the weight to throw around, Bronco had never been terribly nimblefooted, and just when he thought he'd caught Hydra by surprise, and when he thought he'd felt her grip loosen, she stepped back and a portion of the force he'd intended to put behind his shove carried him forward. His momentum caused him to stumble and his grip on the coyote caused his head to jerk to the side- before he felt something tear loose. He teetered for a moment, the majority of his weight over one forefoot, before he thumped to the ground heavily on the opposite shoulder. 

Still- he had a chunk of the coyote's hide in his mouth, and he wasn't going to let her get that away from him. His laughter- muffled by the fur in his mouth- caused him to be fumbly and stumbly as he pulled himself to his feet- and after whipping his head around triumphantly- though he had the much smaller portion of the coyote than she- he made to bound away through the foothills so as to preserve the small victory he'd won, glancing over his shoulder with a happy, coy look just to make sure Hydra was following him.
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I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY ROTATE!!! I think the one ur talking about King may have done?! I LOVE THEM ALL

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He was unbalanced, and Hydra whipped her prize about left and right as she rumbled. Pausing as Bronco rose, and side-eying him in suspicion, he seemed satisfied with his own spoils. Too satisfied, perhaps; she was clever enough to guess at his idea, but was all too game to give chase regardless. It was a good, fun way to train and navigate the terrain... and so after a few final kicks backward to bury the entrails littered, and again spread her own scent, Hydra ran to find him. His head start would not help him for long, if she had anything to do about it...

+2 formation points

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